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Short Hops Jan. 8

First Tee of Hawaii starts Sunday

Sunday marks the first session for the First Tee of Hawaii Program held at Kona Country Club. First Tee is a program that introduces children ages 6 to 17 to the game of golf and the life lessons it teaches.

The session starts at 2 p.m. at the KCC driving range.

There is a $25 registration fee per participant that covers visor and booklet.

Registration starts at 1 p.m., and parents must sign up their children before the program begins.

Gino Fordiani hit a hole-in-one at Big Island Country Club on Dec. 29. He hit from the white tee on the 138-yard 17 hole. Jimmy Garmany, Larry Roberts and Joe Garmany witnessed the shot.

Kona Horseshoe Pitchers Club season begins Thursday

The Kona Horseshoe Pitchers Club will kick off the league season at 4 p.m. Thursday. The format will be a weekly doubles round-robin tournament at the horseshoe courts behind the Old Kona Airport Park tennis courts. Single players will be paired with other singles.

Contact Al at 322-7085 for more league information. Entries are limited, so sign up soon.

There will also be open play for kupuna at 9 a.m. Wednesdays.

RBI girls softball registration Sunday

RBI girls softball registration will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday at 700 Manono Street in Hilo. For more information, call Coach Tracy Miyashiro at 936-3681.

Kona Elks Hoop Shoot Saturday

All free throw shooters ages 8 (by April 1) to 13 are invited to Kekuaokalani Gym on Saturday for the Kona Elks Hoop Shoot.

Registration begins at 9 a.m., and competition starts at 10 a.m. Age groups are 8-9, 10-11 and 12-13.

The Elks will give trophies for first and second places in each group with separate competition for boys and girls. Each contestant gets 25 shots at the hoop from the free throw line (the 8-9 year age group shoot from 4 feet in front of the line and with the smaller ball) with 15 additional shots if a tie breaker is needed.

The boy and girl in each age group with the highest scores may advance through four tiers of competition to qualify for the national finals at Springfield, Mass., set for April 18-21. Kona Elks Lodge 2616 provides for transportation of winners along with one parent for out-of-state competition.

All children who reside in West Hawaii are invited to participate.

There is no registration fee or early registration. For more information, call Joe Reynolds at 334-0077.

Hilo to Volcano 50K held Jan. 19

The Big Island Road Runners will hold the Hilo to Volcano 50K Ultra and the 31-mile relay Jan. 19. Runners can choose between running the 50 kilometer (31 mile) course from Coconut Island to Cooper Center in Volcano Village as an ultra-marathoner or as part of a three-person relay team.

In the relay event, team members take turns running two mile legs up the mountain. The ultra runners start at 6 a.m., and the relay teams start at 6:30 am.

The registration fee for either event is $40. Big Island Road Runner Club members get a $5 discount.

The registration form is online at bigislandroadrunners.org/html/htv_50k.html. For more information, call Steve Pavao at 430-0267.

Catch A Fire Futbol Club registration Jan. 20

The Catch A Fire Futbol Club will hold registration for the spring season from 2 to 4 p.m. Jan. 20 at Hualalai Academy. A parents’ question-and-answer session will follow.

The program is open for soccer players of all abilities, ages 5-14. The registration fee for 6-and-under is $150, and $200 for the older age groups. There is also a $35 Hawaii Youth Soccer Association fee.

For more information, visit catchafirefutbol.com.

HI-PAL 3-on-3 Jam held Jan. 19-21

The Hawaii Police Activities League will hold its 23rd annual HI-PAL Hope Chapel 3-on-3 Basketball Jam Jan. 19-21 a the outdoor courts next to Kekuaokalani Gymnasium.

Interested parties may register through Jan. 11.

Teams will be divided by age, starting with 5-and-6-year-olds and going through 13-and-14-year olds. There will also be 12-and-under girls and 14-and-under girls. Team rosters are limited to five players.

Because space is limited, teams will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. All interested teams should call the West Hawaii HI-PAL office at 326-4646, extension 258; Officer Randy Morris at 936-2789; or the Hilo HI-PAL office at 961-2220.

Softball tourney Jan. 25-27

There will be a slow-pitch softball tournament Jan. 25-27 at Old Kona Airport Park. There will be separate tournaments for men and women, with a co-ed home run derby on Jan. 26. Prizes will be awarded for the top three finishers in the tournament.

The registration fee is $300, and there is a minimum deposit of $100 due by Jan. 19. For more information or to register, contact Jamieson Taketa at 938-8664 or Shane Alani at 640-0824.

Fliear a guest on Emily T. Gail Show

Kelly Fliear, tournament manager for the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai, is a guest on this week’s Emily T. Gail Show, which is available under “lineup” at espnhawaii.com and as an iTunes podcast.

The Mitsubishi Electric Championship is the Champions Tour’s season opening event and will be held Jan. 16-20 at the Hualalai Golf Course at Hualalai Resort.

Mary Bea Porter King, former LPGA player and co-founder of the Hawaii State Junior Golf Association, will also be a guest. She will give a recap of this past year in the world of junior golf. She will also discuss the major fundraisers for the HSJGA.

Also, Liane DePontes, tennis professional for the Fairmont Orchid at Mauna Lani Tennis Pavilion, will discuss her teaching style for beginners to advanced players and the opportunities for locals and visitors to participate in lessons and clinics at the Fairmont Orchid Tennis Pavilion. DePontes will also discuss junior tennis programs and the tennis pros that have been mentors for her.

For information on the Emily T. Gail Show, contact Gail at emilytgail@emilys.org. Past shows are available at facebook.com/emilytgailtalkstory, iTunes and espnhawaii.com.